When the war has lasted twenty years …
the dragonets will come.
When the land is soaked in blood and tears …
the dragonets will come.
I recently reread the entire wings of fire series for the first time since late highschool and fell in love with them all over again. I could not get this vision to stop plaguing me until I put it down on paper. Arc 1 you are so beloved to me.
You said sandwings were your favorite, so would you be willing to do Queen Thorn?
of course! I'm aware this design takes some explaining to do, but trust me... this IS Queen Thorn.
I think of all the times I've made a post that starts with 'this might be the time I take too much liberty,' THIS really takes the cake.
Thinking about Thorn as a character, I really wanted to bring out her more scorpion-den side, even if the redesign is set after she becomes queen. I feel that Thorn's most admirable quality as a ruler is her strong sense of identity and belonging among the citizens of the sandwing kingdom, and thought it unreasonable that she would make any real effort to dress/appear different after becoming queen (even if it caused a little uproar among sandwing nobles.)
Because of this, I decided to incorporate a lot of punk design aspects (for any new readers, my last post is about the scorpion den being punk.) She has a lot of spikes sewn/fastened directly to her under scales, as well as a little vest and tail bracelet with the outclaw patch sewn in. I wanted to give her some kind of royal-leaning attire without losing the vibe, so I added these leather-ish, chain-ish back piece meant to resemble a cape. Kind of. Onto her scales: Thorn's design is very on the nose: with thorn patterns (based on the name) and swirl patterns (reminded me of sand.) Finally, her frills are dyed! I imagine Thorn probably uses a blend of papaya or prickly pear cactus to get the job done, but the ends fade with time. That kind of makes me wonder if sandwing frills grow like hair..
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As always, thank you all so much for your support and continued appreciation of this blog! If you're interested in making a request or viewing which characters are on the redesign waitlist, check my pinned post! I'm still working on determining my art comp prizes, but I can confidently tell you all it will probably be a redesign or draw in your style challenge!
Hey folks! This one was the recent winner of this WOF poll, so here’s my concept art that headcannons trading in Pyyria.
Read below cut for close-ups of the individual booths + the thought process / headcannons behind the design choices: 👇
Skywings: The Sky Kingdom’s mountain ranges provide plenty of pasture for raising sheep. As such, Skywing shepherds benefit from traveling to sell their wool, dyes, fabric, and woven tapestries. Many of these merchant tables also include herbs grown exclusively in the mountains, or ibex drinking horns that can be strapped on a dragon’s shoulder & carried in flight.
Along with goods, Skywing merchants may offer sewing services to fix tears, burn marks, or other fabric damage. They are sought out for their quality clothing, and most fabric across Pyyria originated from a Skywing’s talons.
Mudwings: Mudwings’ abundant food & cooking skills are envied almost anywhere in Pyrria. Their swamps have fertile soil, responsible for hosting diverse crops which can be purchased as produce at merchant stalls. For those lucky enough to find a traveling Mudwing merchant, the promise of a delicious dish can be whipped up and served at the stall in no time. Along with produce goods, Mudwings sell weaved baskets, spices, and cooking ware.
Sandwings: Sandwing booths offer luxuries of the desert: It’s most common to find accessories such as gold carved jewelry or musical instruments such as drums, lyres, & mandolins for sale. Though, even more sought out across Pyrria is Sandwing tattoos/piercings, which are done within the merchant areas. Ink etchings on papyrus paper are stationed outside their tents to showcase designs. All which can be selected, and poked into the skin with a tapping stick and plant dye ink by a trained talon.
Seawings: SeaWings sell a variety of ocean related goods; taking a share in the fish market with Icewings. Outside of food, there are den decorations like driftwood carvings, accessories such as seashell & pearl jewelry, and rope nets weaved by expert Seawing sailors. Some Seawings even sell fishing equipment, canoes, or offer sailor knot tying instructions to curious dragon buyers.
Nightwings: During the war, it was near impossible to find a Nightwing merchant. Most refused to participate in merchant territory, mostly as a way to keep up with their tribe’s mysterious nature.
Though in the more shady, unground parts of the market you can buy from a huge selection of obsidian weaponry, the sharpest in Pyyria. No one knew initially how Nightwings smithed so many weapons, or why, until their secret volcano kingdom and the intention to invade the rainforest was discovered. Then forging armor & weapons became clear. Along with a vast armory, for the right price, some Nightwing merchants offer Prophecies & Nightwing Literature (not always guaranteed to always be reliable) and assassin services as well (very reliable).
Rainwings: Though Rainwings haven’t been part of Pyyria’s trading for years, they have a vast hold on dragon medicine. An apothecary of herbs, salves, and remedies are all offered for various ailments due to the rainforest’s abundant resources. Along with medicinal goods, many Rainwings are fruit vendors, promising to any hesitant meat-eating dragons that such an array of flavors isn’t to be missed. Though, their fruit selling pitches often fall flat to most other predominantly meat-eating tribes.
Icewings: Icewings have everything a dragon could need to brace the cold, with a selection of goods only found in the most frigid regions of Pyyria. Furs, bone jewelry, and fresh fish (thanks to frost breath) are served on ice. Though Icewings themselves don’t require fur to withstand the cold, it’s considered fashionable and common in upper ranks to wear fur as a status symbol. Since metal is hard to smith without fire & in cold temperatures, fur and bone are more accessible to Icewings for clothing statements.
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